


we didn't start the (depression and loneliness!)

by netherfriends



Series: netherfriend's shelf of collections and trinkets [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Nosebleed, Rain, Sensory Overload, Slightly - Freeform, also in this work of fiction tommy's parents are shitty, but it's not actually shown only talked about, technically violence?, vjfdkfjdjk i'm soft for brotherly friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28024380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/netherfriends/pseuds/netherfriends
Summary: Even the simplest things can take on the form of a nightmare.The blood on Tommy's face and knuckles, crusting and dry, take on the form of late nights spent as a kid cradling his nose and hiding from his parents. How ironic that he is now cradling his nose as well, although this time no one's paying attention. It is dark, and raining, and Tommy should have been home by now. His parents wouldn't notice, so it isn't an issue. And the secretary seems to be just as annoyed as he is about still being in school well past the hours of daylight. Her acrylic nails tap on the keys of the computer, going slowly enough that it's painful to listen to.ORtommy gets into a fight, and wilbur is worried
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: netherfriend's shelf of collections and trinkets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052696
Comments: 12
Kudos: 285





	we didn't start the (depression and loneliness!)

**Author's Note:**

> this is entirely inspired by qar, and they (she? he?) are an awesome writer, so go check out their series '[qar]noor's collection of soft fics' for more tommyinnit angst, because it is amazing and wonderful and they are a great person!
> 
> gentle reminder: i am not representing any real people in any way! i'm sure that tommy's family are wonderful people. this is simply just a work of fiction and do not take it too seriously!

Even the simplest things can take on the form of a nightmare. 

The blood on Tommy's face and knuckles, crusting and dry, take on the form of late nights spent as a kid cradling his nose and hiding from his parents. How ironic that he is now cradling his nose as well, although this time no one's paying attention. It is dark, and raining, and Tommy should have been home by now. His parents wouldn't notice, so it isn't an issue. And the secretary seems to be just as annoyed as he is about still being in school well past the hours of daylight. Her acrylic nails tap on the keys of the computer, going slowly enough that it's painful to listen to.

The ugly shade of brown that the secretary (her name tag says 'Linda') has for some reason chosen to have as her fake nails reminds him of times where he was thrown out while it was pouring, similar to now, and he cried in a puddle of mud. Later, when he was allowed back inside, his parents would complain about all the mud he brought in. He didn't say anything about it, despite them being the reason he was dirty in the first place.

The ticking of the clock hanging up on the wall above him frustrates him to no end, despite being such a small thing. Every small noise seems to spring out from the background and force themselves into Tommy's head. 

_Click, click. Tick Tick._

The splatter of rain hitting the pavement outside the dimly lit school is pounding in his head, seemingly getting louder in louder. The only thing he's grateful for is that because of how poor his school is the lighting wasn't bright enough to bleed into his eyes.

Still, he keeps shifting in his plastic chair, one of the leg's significantly shorter than the rest. He picks at the scabs littering his arms and legs from getting hurt so often, wincing whenever he pulls one off too hard. His legs kick back and forth like he's an impatient child, which in a way he is, but the secretary keeps shooting him annoyed glances so he tries to still himself. He'd never been very good at that, for that was the reason he was even still here.

He had called Wilbur a couple minutes ago, due to the prompting that he needed to be picked up. His parents were out of the option, they'd probably take one look at him and decide to throw him outside again. Probably yell about him 'starting fights'. He hadn't started this fight, or at least he hoped he didn't. Wilbur was the best option, even though he felt guilty about disturbing the older man.

The ice pack that he had been holding up to his nose has gone warm, and Tommy just feels so, so very uncomfortable.

_Click, click. Tick, tick. Drip, drip._

The door opens, and the room gets colder than it was (the school didn't have a heater), rain already finding it's way indoors. Tommy can't stand to look up, to see the no doubt disappointed look of his friend. Tommy had told him that he wouldn't get into any more fights, and he really had been trying! But now he had gone and messed it all up again.

There was some muttering, most likely Wilbur talking to the secretary and signing the forms. He knew what they would say about what he had done, ' _starting acts of violence_ ', ' _disrupting school_ ', ' _causing harm to other students_ '. He could practically feel the displeased frown from his friend.

He got up without a word when called by Wilbur. The other man's voice was uncharacteristically steady and small, betraying no emotion. That just made Tommy's thoughts buzz worse. 

They stepped outside the school, and Tommy briefly registered that Wilbur was holding an umbrella overhead, the sound of raindrops hitting fabric a implication. They walked alongside each other in silence, Tommy keeping his head downcast all the same. He could tell that Wilbur was staring at him, but he pointedly refused to acknowledge it.

Soon enough they were in the car, which was much warmer than outside. He really shouldn't have worn a short sleeved shirt today. Wilbur didn't drive away, the silence threatening to drown Tommy. When no answer came from the younger boy, Wilbur let out a sigh and began driving. Tommy turned his attention to the window, his form small and fragile. He curled into himself, focusing on steadying his breathing.

_1, 2, 3_

The other car's headlights were blinding, and Tommy opted to bury his head into his arms to stop the dull headache from coming. The honking from impatient drivers stuck in traffic was making his ears itch with the want to just be in silence. He snuck a glance at Wilbur.

The other man was straight up in his posture, eyebrows drawn together with annoyance and concern. His hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly enough to where his knuckles started to lose the color in them.

Tommy started picking at his scabs again, hoping for a distraction. And when that didn't work, he started watching the raindrops on his window slide down. He considered it a race, the raindrop that came to the bottom of his window first won. It proved to be efficient enough, as Wilbur was too focused on the road to ask questions.

Soon enough, they pulled into a driveway, although it was not Tommy's. The car stopped, discontinuing any thoughts that Wilbur had just accidentally drove here. Wilbur exited the car with the umbrella, going over to Tommy's side and opening the door for him. He stepped out, trying to keep a distance from Wilbur but also still stay under the umbrella.

The two finally entered the house, and Tommy took off his shoes, standing awkwardly in the foyer. Wilbur had ran off to get something, and he was left all alone. The first thing he noticed was that it was quiet, which was unexpected coming from Wilbur. Surely there would be some noise in the house, right?

Tommy walked into the house with his socked feet, leaving a ghost of a touch on some pictures near the mantel place. He winced, noting that he had punched pretty hard and that his hand hurt a lot. The fire was crackling, seemingly having not going for long.

Wilbur returned in the room, this time supplied with an ice pack bundled up in a small towel and a wet rag. He motioned for Tommy to sit down next to the fire, and he complied, not wanting to disobey the other man.

Wilbur sat in front of him and began wiping away the dry blood on his face with the wet rag. He had forgotten that was there. Once it was cleaned up, Wilbur handed him the ice pack.

"Press that against your nose, it'll help." Tommy did as he was told, and grimaced at the cold and from the pain in his nose, but further relaxed when it became numb.

"Tommy.." Oh boy, he knew what was going to happen.

"Look, I didn't start it okay!? I know that's what the papers said but that's only because Ryan is a no good liar-" Wilbur shushed him gently, putting a steady hand on his shoulder and squeezing. He realized that he had begun shaking.

"Toms, listen, I'm not mad. I'm gonna believe you if you said that you didn't start it, and I could never get mad at you, alright?" Tommy nodded. 

"I just want to know the full story here, I'm not gonna yell at you, or hurt you. Just take your time." Wilbur gave him a soft smile, and Tommy could feel himself relax a bit. He turned his head to the side, to prevent himself from getting watery by staring at Wilbur.

He took a deep breathe. In, out.

"He just started talking shit about me. And normally I wouldn't care alright? 'Cause I'm a big man, but then he started talking about Tubbo so I told him to..well, I told him to fuck off. And he just punched me. Right in the nose." Tommy shuddered when recalling that. Wilbur had been silent the whole time, no interruptions or negative comments like he would normally get from his parents.

"So of course I punched him back, which escalated into full out fighting, but then some of his friends threw some punches at me." 

"Of course _I_ was the only one that got punished, Ryan and his gang of assholes got off scot free." Tommy sneered bitterly. His ice pack had gotten warmer during his rant, although it seemed to have worked as his nose was numb and he couldn't feel any pain.

"Oh _Tommy_ , come here." Tommy easily collapsed into Wilbur's arms, as easy as coming home. The other man ran his fingers through his curls, and Tommy found that his anger was replaced by sadness. He didn't realize he started crying until Wilbur wiped away his tears with his thumb.

He choked on his sob, leaning closer into the older man, clutching at his sweater like it was a life line. Wilbur rubbed comforting circles into Tommy's back, rocking slightly to calm down the younger. It seemed to work, as the sobs racking his body slowed down to soft hiccups.

Wilbur smoothed Tommy's hair down, smiling when it just flopped back up. 

"Toms, dear, I'm proud of you alright? But don't care about what some little shit named _Ryan_ says about you or Tubbo, even if it isn't pleasant. Don't give him the satisfaction of letting him know that he got to you." Tommy nodded weakly.

Wilbur tickled the younger gently under his arm, smiling when Tommy let out a couple giggles.

Tommy still looked distracted though, and Wilbur tried to wrack his brain for what was bothering the young lad. The way he glanced uncertainly at the door, the way that he stiffened..

Oh. _Oh_.

"Toms, you can stay here for the night. I'm sure your parents won't mind." Wilbur found that he melted when Tommy gave him a hopeful look, his demeanor shifted to something much more bright.

"Really?"

Wilbur laughed, ruffling the younger's hair. "Really." 

And if when Wilbur woke up with a sleeping Tommy latched to him like a koala, he didn't mention it when he found that surely he could wake up later if that meant that he didn't have to wake up Tommy.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for making so many fics of wilbur and tommy constantly every night, i just can't help it that this has become my new hyperfixation. it must be annoying to keep getting emails about me.


End file.
